Ash Gray - Once I Got Burned

2014 – Luv Rock Records

As with his previous recording, the psychedelia of ‘Born in the summer’ by Ash Gray and the Girls, this album is a throwback to the 1960s and 70s. The difference is that this is much better and certainly more believable. Not that Born in the summer was bad it’s just that it had such a strong feeling of authenticity for those times that it came across as a virtual forgery, albeit a very good one. This one kow tows to no particular musical movement, more an overview and blend of the genres that were around in those days, although his take on ‘country rock’ is most recognizable and contains a high degree of excellence and authority. Unlike it’s predecessor nothing on this recording is actually derivative(or at least, no more than any other album) thanks to a strong dose of 21st century modernism in the overall makeup of the album. It is as if he’s saying (and he could well be!) these are my influences and this is how I blend the various styles that appeal to me.

There can be very few artists in roots music who can match the gorgeous melodies that pour from this man and whilst the album is stylistically all over the place, thanks to the all round quality everything holds together and rather than being confused the recording actually has a nice flowing diversity to it. Not that everything works perfectly but the songs that do (the majority) are genuinely as good as this and most other albums can hope for.

Ash Gray is the owner of a warm, versatile set of vocal chords that lend themselves to a variety of songs that range from a melodic Beach Boys late 60s, early 70s experimentation to an uptempo country rock as well as a little blues and much else besides, all done with equal conviction and believability. His incredibly strong melodies and clever lyrics show him to be a more than capable songwriter in a variety of genres. It’s no use labeling the album as ‘roots music’ because some of it is not, at least not in the usual terms of that catchall phrase. That is the beauty of this mans music. You can never be sure what to expect next. Certainly his ‘country’ leanings are obvious, highly skilled and authentic but so is his ability in the other genres that he covers.

Santa Fe Sand is a beautiful country song with gorgeous steel, terrific harmonies and an excellent warm melody on an exceptional song that precedes an excursion into the blues on Black Muddy Woman. There is a nice catchy acoustic guitar on a tale that has a strong authentically blues feel albeit the melodic side and his warm vocals are at their most evocative. Fiddlers Son includes more melodic and highly skilled acoustic guitars on a folksy bluesy tale that has a powerfully dramatic edge with some lovely guitar playing, excellent bass and his usual evocative, warm vocals. It is a song that could just as easily be a link to the old front porch ‘hillbilly’ days. The Girl I Want is a song that blends rockabilly and skiffle into a very good mid tempo throwback to late 1950s rock ‘n’ roll accompanied by speedy acoustic guitars, whilst ‘55’ contains a tremendous chiming guitar and drum attack before more janging guitars enter the fray on an excellent catchy rock ‘n’ roll car tale with some lovely harmonies on the chorus. Final mention goes to the closing track Billy, with its lovely acoustic and electric guitar sound on a hugely atmospheric song that at one time would have been called ‘country and western.’ It’s a tale that has a strong dramatic edgeand rolls along at a just about perfect easy going tempo even though the song is a quite harrowing tale. The arrangement, playing and vocal lifts this song to a level of the best songs on this album of very good songs.

Ash Gray is a talented musician who never seems to take the easy way out on his incredibly melodic mélange of everything from country rock to psychedelic pop music with a little blues thrown in! Not everything works perfectly but where it does work his music is quite inspired. Without characters such as Ash Gray the music business would be the poorer and certainly a lot more boring with many of the various roots genres not existing at all. Long may he continue to follow his muse, wherever it takes him!